The Gospel in the Old Testament
Jesus Christ, the Son of God
Jesus birth
Isaiah 7v14
Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. 15 Butter and honey shall he eat, that he may know to refuse the evil, and choose the good. 16 For before the child shall know to refuse the evil, and choose the good, the land that thou abhorrest shall be forsaken of both her kings
Note: born of a virgin. Immanuel means God with us.
Isaiah 9v6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.
Note: prophecy of Jesus birth and His Kingly reign.
Micah 5v2
But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.
Note: Jesus born in Bethlehem.
Hosea11v1
When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.
Note: Joseph hid Jesus and Mary in Egypt because he feared Herod (Herod killed all the children up to the age of 2 years old).
The Anointing of Jesus (the Messiah, the Christ)
Isaiah 61v1
The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; 2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; 3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.
Note: Jesus was Anointed with the Holy Spirit and Power, becoming the Christ (Anointed). See Acts 10v38.
Psalm 45v7
Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.
Note: Jesus was Anointed with the Holy Spirit and Power, becoming the Christ (Anointed). See Acts 10v38.
Ministry of Jesus
Galilean ministry
Isaiah 9v1
Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.
Note: Jesus ministry in Galilee.
A rock of offence (stumbling)
Isaiah 8v14
And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken.
Note: Jesus would be rejected by His own nation, especially the priests – a stone of stumbling.
Riding upon the ass
Zechariah 9v9
Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Note: Jesus entering Jerusalem upon an ass.
Betrayal of Jesus
Psalm 41v9
Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.
Note: Jesus betrayed by a Judas.
Zechariah 11v12
And I said unto them, If ye think good, give me my price; and if not, forbear. So they weighed for my price thirty pieces of silver. 13 And the LORD said unto me, Cast it unto the potter: a goodly price that I was prised at of them. And I took the thirty pieces of silver, and cast them to the potter in the house of the LORD.
Note: Judas sold Jesus for 30 pieces of silver.
Death of Jesus
Daniel 9v26
And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Note: Messiah/Christ would be cut off, ie be killed, not for Himself, but for the people (their sins).
Psalm 22v1
My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring? 2 O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. 3 But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. 4 Our fathers trusted in thee: they trusted, and thou didst deliver them. 5 They cried unto thee, and were delivered: they trusted in thee, and were not confounded. 6 But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people. 7 All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 8 He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him. 9 But thou art he that took me out of the womb: thou didst make me hope when I was upon my mother’s breasts. 10 I was cast upon thee from the womb: thou art my God from my mother’s belly. 11 Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. 12 Many bulls have compassed me: strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round. 13 They gaped upon me with their mouths, as a ravening and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death. 16 For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. 17 I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. 18 They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.
Note: Jesus sufferings upon the cross. Notice verse 16 … they pierced my hands and my feet … a reference to Jesus being nailed to the cross. The Jewish form of execution was stoning, not crucifixion.
Psalm 69v20
Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. 21 They gave me also gall for my meat; and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.
Note: Jesus had no comforters during His time of execution. On the cross He represented our sin and our sin could not be comforted, the full mease of judgement had to be given.
Isaiah 53v3
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
Note: He was crucified for our sins, and whipped for our healing.
Resurrection of Jesus
Psalm 16v10
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Note: This is quoted by Peter the apostle in the Acts 2v27 in reference to the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus was not left in hell (greek word; ‘hades’, which means, the ‘grave’ (or ‘unknown’), as opposed to the greek word ‘geenna’, which is often translated in English Bibles as ‘hell’).
Ascension of Jesus
Psalm 110v1
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool
Note: Jesus ascension to the right hand of God.
Psalm 68v18
Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.
Note: another reference to His ascension.
New Covenant (Testament)
A new testament replacing and fulfilling the old testament
Jeremiah 31v31
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: 32 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: 33 But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Grace and forgiveness
Psalm 32v1
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Note: only under the new testament can sins be taken away and not imputed to the sinner.
Receiving the Holy Spirit
Joel 2v28
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: 29 And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.
Note: prophecy about God pouring out His Spirit.
Ezekiel 36v25
Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
Note: God giving His Spirit to us.
Speaking in tongues
Isaiah 28v11
For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people. 12 To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.
Note: quoted by Paul, the apostle, in 1 Corinthians 14v21 where he explains that Isaiah is referring to speaking in tongues. See also Zephaniah 3v9.
The Church
Psalm 22v22
I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.
Note: prophecy about the congregation (the church).
Jesus Christ return
Malachi 4v1
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch. 2 But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.
Note: prophecy about Jesus return.
The Millennium
Jesus Christ ruling upon the earth during 1000 years
Isaiah 11v1
And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots: 2 And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; 3 And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the LORD: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears: 4 But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 5 And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.
6 The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. 9* They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.
Note: This is a prophecy about the millennium, which is a period of 1000 years when Jesus will reign upon the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This will take place immediately after His return.
The Judgement
Daniel 12v2
And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. 3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.
Note: prophecy of the judgement.
We see from the above scripture that the gospel can be preached entirely from the old testament. There are so many more scriptures, so look into them yourself.
Find salvation in your own Bible:
Mark 16v17; Acts 2v4; Acts 10v44-46; Acts 19v1-6.
What to do:
Acts 2v37-38.
Jesus Christ - God's Answer 